Every registered condominium in Thailand is run by a "juristic person", a legal body made up of all the unit owners, which manages the common property and charges each owner a share of the costs. The Condominium Act sets how those costs are shared, caps late-payment surcharges at 12 % a year (20 % after six months) and requires a yearly general meeting, but it sets no fee level: the amount per square meter comes from each building's own regulations.
For an owner, the juristic person is the body you pay every month or year, vote in and, sometimes, argue with. For a renter it is the management office downstairs that issues key cards and enforces the house rules. This page explains the legal frame under the Condominium Act B.E. 2522 (1979), as amended in 2008, in plain terms. It is not legal advice; for a dispute, read your building's regulations and talk to a licensed lawyer.
Condo juristic person: the legal basics (November 2026)
- Law
- Condominium Act B.E. 2522 (1979), amended by Act No. 4 B.E. 2551 (2008)
- Who belongs
- All co-owners, including the developer for unsold units
- Common fee
- Shared by ownership ratio or benefit, as set in the building's regulations; no legal rate
- Late surcharge
- Up to 12 % a year; up to 20 % a year after six months
- Annual meeting
- Within 120 days of the end of the financial year
- Quorum
- At least one quarter of all votes
- On sale
- Debt-free certificate from the Manager, issued within 15 days
What the juristic person is, and who runs it
When a building is registered as a condominium, the owners together form a juristic person registered with the Land Office. It manages the common property that all owners share, such as the lobby, lifts, corridors and shared facilities. It acts through a Manager, who handles the daily running, and a committee of owners elected for two-year terms. The 2008 amendment also gave a government "competent officer" the power to inspect documents and enter the common areas.
Each building has its own regulations (in Thai, kho bangkhap), registered with the juristic person. They set the fee rate, the house rules and much of what the Act leaves open, so ask for a copy before you buy or rent, in English if one exists. The Act also says that no commercial trading may take place in the building outside the area set aside for commerce.
How common fees are set
Section 18 of the Act divides common expenses into two kinds. Taxes and duties on the common property are paid in proportion to each owner's ownership ratio. The costs of running and maintaining the common property and its equipment are paid in proportion to the benefit to each unit, or as the building's regulations say. Because the ownership ratio is based on unit area, most buildings express the fee as a rate per square meter, but that rate is the building's decision, not the law's.
The words "sinking fund" do not appear in the Act. Where a building collects a one-off contribution to a reserve fund, the obligation comes from the building's regulations or the developer's sales contract. Ask what it is, how much, and what the regulations say it may be spent on. Our guide to buying a condo in Thailand covers the other running costs and taxes of ownership.
Ask for the last two annual reports before you buy. The Act requires audited accounts, a balance sheet and an annual report for the general meeting, and the regulations must be kept available. Those papers show the fee level, any arrears in the building and how much money is set aside, which tells you more than the sales brochure.
Late payment: the surcharges in the Act
Section 18/1 lets the regulations set a surcharge on overdue common fees of up to 12 % a year on the overdue amount, not compounded. If the fees are six months or more overdue, the surcharge can rise to up to 20 % a year, and two more things follow: the owner may be suspended from common services or the use of common property, as the regulations set out, and loses the right to vote at the owners' general meeting until the debt is paid.
Two details are often wrong online. An unofficial English translation of the 2008 amendment gives the first rate as 10 %, but the Thai text quoted in Thai legal research says 12 %. And the Act speaks of suspending common services and facilities, not of cutting off a unit's water or electricity. Whether a particular building may stop a particular service depends on its regulations, and that is a question for a lawyer, not a notice in the lift.
The annual general meeting and how votes work
The first general meeting must be held within six months of the condominium's registration, to approve the regulations and the Manager. After that, the committee calls an annual general meeting within 120 days of the end of each financial year to approve the balance sheet, the annual report and the auditor. The Manager, the committee, or owners holding at least 20 % of all votes in writing can call an extraordinary meeting; the committee must then hold it within 15 days. Notice with the agenda goes out at least seven days before.
| Decision | Votes needed under the Act |
|---|---|
| Quorum for a meeting | At least one quarter of all votes; a second meeting within 15 days needs no quorum |
| Changing the rules on common property, payment ratios, works on the façade, selling or buying common property, earning income from it | Half the votes of owners attending; if too few attend, one third of all votes at a second meeting |
| Appointing or dismissing the Manager | More than one quarter of all votes |
A proxy may represent no more than three units, and committee members, the Manager, their spouses and building staff may not act as proxies. The Manager and the Manager's spouse may not chair the meeting. If you live abroad part of the year, a proxy from a neighbor you trust is the practical way to keep your vote.
Selling: the debt-free certificate
Section 29 is where unpaid fees catch up with an owner. To register a transfer, the seller must bring the Land Office a certificate from the Manager showing that all common-fee debts are paid, and the Land Office will not register the sale without it. The Manager must issue the certificate within 15 days of the request once the debts are cleared. The rest of the sale, from taxes to the transfer day, is covered in our guide to selling a condo in Thailand.
House rules: noise, pets and short-term letting
Day-to-day life in a condo is governed by the building's regulations and house rules, which the owners can change at a general meeting. They can cover noise, pets, renovations, parking and the use of the pool and gym. A written complaint to the juristic office is the first step in most disputes with neighbors; our page on dealing with noise complaints in Thailand explains how to make one.
Short-term letting is the rule that causes most trouble. Many buildings have their own rules on letting, and daily rentals also raise questions under the Hotel Act; our article on whether Airbnb is legal in Thailand covers the law and the Hua Hin court case. The building's own insurance covers the common property, not your unit's contents; see our guide to home contents insurance in Thailand for where your own cover should begin.
What a renter should ask the landlord
As a tenant you are not a member of the juristic person and have no vote, but its rules still apply to you. If you are still choosing a neighborhood, our guide to where expats live in Bangkok compares the areas for long-term renters. Before you sign, ask the owner or agent:
- Are the common fees for the unit paid up? Arrears of six months or more can mean services are suspended for the unit.
- May you have a copy of the house rules, including any rules on pets, guests and moving in or out?
- How many key cards and parking passes come with the unit, and who pays for replacements?
- Who deals with the juristic office if something in the unit needs repair from the building's side?
The lease itself, deposits and the 2025 rental rules are explained in our guide to renting a condo in Thailand.
Ownership, foreigners and the unit title
Foreigners may together own up to 49 % of a building's total unit floor area, and the juristic person is the place to ask how much of that quota remains. Each unit has its own title document, registered at the Land Office; how Thai title documents work, and how to check one, is the subject of our page on Thai land title deeds. If you face a dispute with the juristic person over fees, votes or services, a licensed lawyer can read the regulations with you; our guide to hiring a lawyer in Thailand explains how to find one.
Frequently asked questions
How much are condo common fees in Thailand?
The law sets no amount. The Condominium Act says how costs are shared, by ownership ratio or benefit to the unit, and each building's regulations set the actual rate, usually per square meter. Ask for the current rate and the last annual report before you buy or rent.
What happens if I don't pay my condo common fees?
The building can charge a surcharge of up to 12 % a year on the overdue amount. After six months the rate can rise to up to 20 % a year, you may be suspended from common services and facilities under the regulations, and you lose your vote at general meetings.
Is a sinking fund required by Thai law?
No. The Condominium Act does not mention a sinking fund. Where a building collects one, the obligation comes from its regulations or the developer's sales contract, so read those documents to see the amount and what the fund may be used for.
Can I sell my condo with unpaid common fees?
Not without settling them. Under section 29, the Land Office registers a transfer only with the Manager's certificate that all common-fee debts are paid. The Manager must issue it within 15 days of the request once the debts are cleared.
Who can call a condo general meeting?
The committee calls the annual meeting within 120 days of the financial year-end. An extraordinary meeting can be called by the Manager, the committee, or owners holding at least 20 % of all votes in writing; the committee must then hold it within 15 days.
Sources
- Condominium Act (No. 4) B.E. 2551 (2008), unofficial English translation (Samran Ratanarapee, ed. John B. Fishback) (checked November 2026)
- Naresuan University Law Journal – article quoting section 18/1 of the Condominium Act (Thai) (checked November 2026)
- Department of Lands – Home page and e-services (Thai) (checked November 2026)